5 Things You Didn’t Know About Gina Carano’s MMA Career
1. She Was The First Woman To Headline A Major MMA Event
There were several firsts in Gina Carano's MMA run. However, perhaps her greatest accomplishment was becoming (along with Cris Cyborg) the first female fighter to headline a major MMA card.
The event, Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, took place in San Jose on August 15, 2009, and was aired live on Showtime. Carano, who had a perfect 7-0 record, would take on the most feared woman in MMA at the time, Cris Cyborg.
Unfortunately, for Carano at least, Cyborg would win the contest via the first-round TKO. The victory would significantly raise Cyborg's profile and played a major role in making her the star she is today.
As for Carano, the historic bout would end up being the last time she competed as professional mixed martial artist.
It was reported that 576,000 viewers tuned in to watch the contest, which was a very solid number at the time.
Carano's exciting style, marketable persona, and movie star good looks helped open doors for women in a relatively new sport. Moreover, by successfully headlining a major event, she helped prove there was indeed a market for women's mixed martial arts.